Whether you’re a beginner curious about getting an introduction to Indian food, a culinary expert who wants to expand your knowledge and skills in different cuisines, or simply want something alternative to do during your holidays – a cooking class is a fun and interesting way to spend the day.
 
With its variety of colourful spices, cooking techniques and the range of different cuisines from different regions, India was one of the best places to try my first cooking class.  During my visit to Goa, I did a cooking class with Ritas Gourmet. I opted for the one day cooking course including the market tour which I highly recommend as part of your package.

On my arrival, I was greeted by Rita and her two assistants who led me to the outdoor kitchen on the side of the house. I was given my cooking pack consisting of my very own Ritas Gourmet Goa apron, the recipes we were cooking and a run sheet for the day. We went through the schedule and quickly started on the breakfast items. On the menu for breakfast was a delicious feast of:
 
Medu vada
Sambar
Cocunut chutney
Vegetable upma
Beverage (I chose a fresh coconut juice but there was masala chai tea, juice or black cinammon coffee available)

Traditional Goan breakfast

After the generous and filling breakfast, we drove to the local Farmers Market where we purchased some of the spices, fresh fruits and vegetables we needed for the days cooking class. They explained  the names of the different spices and produce and what they are typically used for, as well as showed me other ingredients that were commonly used in Indian cooking.

After the market tour and back at Ritas house, a lot of the preparation was completed by her assistants so you won’t spend your time washing and chopping ingredients (unless you want to).
 
The menu for lunch that day was:
 
Rissois de camarao
Galinha cafreal
Recheado
Prawns & Vegetable caldin
Cabbage Fugath
Caramel custard
 
It was a very hands on and interactive experience; I was shown how to roll out the pastries and wrap the rissois de camarao, how to make the sauces and marinades for the fish and chicken, and helped with the cooking process for all the dishes under Ritas guidance.

Being a complete beginner in cooking Indian food and never really venturing out of my ‘Pataks’ butter chicken jars at home, the cooking class was a fun learning experience that gave me confidence to start experimenting with Indian dishes at home. If you’re visiting Goa, I thoroughly recommend doing a cooking class with Rita and her team.

Rissois de camarao

Lunch!

The feast we cooked

I liked:

 
The market tour – I highly recommend adding this on to your package as its very informative and a good insight on local life. You also get to chat with the locals as Rita and her assistants know them quite well and most are more than happy to be in your photos.
 
A lot of the prep work is done by her assistants so you don’t spend your time doing the boring stuff, and you can focus more on learning about the food and techniques.
 
The variety of food that we made. I was able to take some back to the hotel with me so my husband could sample the food too.
 
The different styles of cooking techniques and ingredients used; we cooked 3 different types of protein – shrimp, chicken and fish and incorporated a lot of fresh vegetables in the dishes.
 
Rita and her assistants are very flexible and are happy to cater to your taste. If you  are allergic or don’t eat certain food, just advise them when you book. They can also cater the strength of the spices – I like medium-chilli food so we weren’t too generous on the chillies.
 
They wont judge you 🙂  If you’re not comfortable doing something (like operating the deep fryer – me haha!) just let them know, they will ask you to do other tasks.